Of major importance to the Alliance: Having access to a critical mass of journal and book content on one platform, making it easy for researchers to access the content they need when the
Trang 1When critical mass is key
The Colorado Alliance purchases books
on ScienceDirect
Trang 2About the Colorado Alliance of Research Libraries
The Colorado Alliance of Research Libraries (the Alliance) is
a consortium of 15 institutions representing major libraries
located in Colorado and Wyoming Founded in 1974, the Alliance
continues to cooperate and share resources; since 1999, the
Alliance has negotiated eBook purchases, recognizing very early
on the unique value of eBook content for their users
In the past, the Alliance has purchased eBook packages from
many of the major publishers In 2015 a decision was made to
expand their collection of Books on ScienceDirect by purchasing
a collection of monographs, Major Reference Works and
Book Series published between 2007 and 2018 from Elsevier
Following that purchase, the Alliance is already looking to
acquire additional Book Series in 2017
This case study explores some of the criteria used to make that
decision and shows that several factors must be considered
when purchasing books – whether individually or in packages
Of major importance to the Alliance: Having access to a critical
mass of journal and book content on one platform, making it
easy for researchers to access the content they need when they
need it
Why books on ScienceDirect
Over the years the Alliance has purchased eBooks in a multitude
of ways, from ad hoc acquisition of titles to satisfy faculty
requests to deals for larger collections that capitalize on both
breadth and depth of content
According to Michael Levine-Clark, Dean of the University
of Denver - Libraries, one of the most important things is to
provide users with access to a critical mass of quality content
Researchers often need to access the more broad, foundational content in eBooks and more specialized information or recent research in journal articles at various stages of the research cycle, so having them both available on one platform is seen as
a big benefit and driver for adding more eBooks to their already existing journal and book collection on ScienceDirect
“We want and need to provide the best quality of content that we can to our students and faculty Elsevier is one of the publishers that produces that high-quality content,” says George Machovec, Executive Director of the Colorado Alliance of Research Libraries Although turnaway data is often considered a key factor when
it comes to eBook purchases, Levine-Clark insists that several factors ultimately came to inform their decision to go ahead with their purchase of Books on ScienceDirect, including:
• Balancing faculty requests with building a strong, comprehensive collection
• Budget considerations and shared buy-in
• A desire to gain access to a wider selection of titles in perpetuity (including more foundational content available from Major Reference Works and Book Series, which they purchased covering the years from 2008-2018)
• A platform to search across and link between both journal and book content via one robust, feature-rich platform
Michael Levine-Clark Dean of the University Libraries, University of Denver
Michael is an internationally respected authority on collection development, acquisition of electronic and other nontraditional holdings, demand-driven acquisition and new models of library discovery.
Michael played an instrumental role in leading the recent eBook acquisition from Elsevier by the Colorado Alliance of Research Libraries.
George Machovec Executive Director, Colorado Alliance of Research Libraries
George was appointed the Executive Director of the Colorado Alliance of Research Libraries in 2012.
He has worked at the Alliance since 1993 as the Interim Executive Director, Associate Director, and Technical Coordinator George has undergraduate degrees in physics and astronomy and an MLS from the University of Arizona.
Global ScienceDirect usage data shows that 75% of visits to a Reference Module on ScienceDirect are also accompanied by a visit
to a journal.
75%
Trang 3Lessons learned from usage & turnaway data
While usage data may not be the only criteria for
decision-making when it comes to eBooks, it’s certainly helpful
information to have and will no doubt help to inform future
purchases by the Colorado Alliance As Levine-Clark states,
“the more experience we have with a wider range of types of
collections, the better decisions we can make going forward
We can start to gain a better understanding of the context
within which our usage is happening in order to better inform
renewals and future purchases.”
More experience has also led to a better understanding
of turnaway usage data In particular with eBooks, certain
limitations in current search tools and workflows may mean
that researchers do not easily find eBook content; turnaway data,
therefore, may not accurately reflect true demand for eBooks
which may in fact be higher than suggested in some cases
Despite low turnaway data at some schools in the Colorado
Alliance, higher usage post-purchase of the same eBook titles
suggests that easier accessibility of titles is indeed
very important
Elsevier’s own research confirms this last point beyond the
Colorado Alliance Based on a 4-year analysis of ScienceDirect
data, it’s been found that, on average, turnaway titles get three
times more usage within the year following their acquisition
The Alliance has also noticed some other interesting usage
results at several of their member sites Most schools are already
showing strong usage of their new collection, with some highly
specialized schools, such as the Colorado School of Mines, also
showing strong usage outside their recognized niche area; a
great example of how content that wouldn’t have been accessible
without the Alliance deal is nevertheless proving very useful for
their research
In addition, smaller schools within the Alliance that would not
have been able to afford the collection on their own are also
benefiting from having access to the same collection of titles;
eBooks at these schools show very high usage relative to the
user population, helping to increase the value of the consortia
deal even further
What’s next for the Alliance?
In addition to more traditional marketing tactics aimed at
increasing awareness of new titles available through the Alliance,
Levine-Clark suggests that having access to such a widespread
collection also offers opportunities not previously explored,
such as having faculty assign subscribed eBooks for their
courses instead of having students purchase unsubscribed titles
Increasing the usage of subscribed titles also helps, of course, to
increase the value of their subscription by ultimately decreasing
the cost per use
Advice for others?
When asked whether he has any advice for other institutes or consortia looking to purchase eBooks, Levine-Clark replies:
“Do it! Every institute has to start somewhere.”
He argues that a critical mass of content is key, both to ensure that users have access to the content they need as well as to ensure that the titles you ultimately subscribe to don’t get lost in your catalogue collection
It’s also important, he adds, to mix and match different purchase models and access types and to really understand the pros and cons of each within the context of your own situation Whereas
a larger package may allow for a relatively low cost per title and perpetual access with more stability, it can sometimes mean less choice in terms of individual title selection
Levine-Clark is, of course, careful to recognize that the circumstances surrounding each eBook purchase can be different In their own experience, the Alliance has sometimes made purchases in order to capitalize on opportunity; at other times, purchases have been more demand-driven He argues that mixing and matching purchase and access types is key as each approach offers its own advantages Ultimately, however, it’s always about finding the best way to provide users with the best content so that they can excel in their work and drive the research forward
Conclusion
There’s no “one size fits all” approach when it comes to eBooks, but their value for researchers at all stages of the research workflow is clear The Alliance recognized this as far back as 1999 and, over the years, has steadily built a collection of multiple content types across a variety of publishers and aggregators in order to best support their researchers’ needs, both now and in the future
The number of Books accessed globally on ScienceDirect each day
6,307
Trang 4To connect the dots and see the big picture, researchers require access to
reliable interdisciplinary research and fundamental information With an
intuitive, comprehensive platform featuring smart tools, deep insights on
topics, and access to high-impact and topical eBooks, ScienceDirect helps
researchers gain knowledge, generate more ideas and answer their most
pressing questions in less time.
For more information about ScienceDirect,
visit elsevier.com/sciencedirect/books